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20 April 2023
The Board of Governors at the Loughborough Schools Foundation is delighted to have appointed Mr James Neville to succeed Dr Julian Murphy as Headmaster of Loughborough Amherst School from September 2023. Dr Murphy departs to become Headmaster at The Oratory School in Reading after seven transformational years with the School and Foundation. The whole school community wishes Julian and his family all the best as he takes up his new post.
Having served as a senior leader at several Catholic independent day, boarding and maintained secondary schools, Mr Neville has an outstanding track record of whole-school leadership and improvement across academic, pastoral and spiritual life.
Mr Neville is currently Senior Vice Principal at English Martyrs’ Catholic School in Leicester. During his time in post, he has led significant improvements in teaching and learning, and the school has featured amongst the top performing schools in the East Midlands region in The Sunday Times ‘Parent Power’ in Summer 2022.
Prior to his current role, Mr Neville was Assistant Head (Sixth Form) at Ratcliffe College, where he took a leading role in strategic and educational leadership. He began his career at one of Wales’ leading independent schools, St John’s College in Cardiff, where he rose through the ranks to Head of Humanities and then to Assistant Head (Academic).
Mr Neville is a graduate of Oxford and Cambridge universities. He read Modern History at Magdalen College Oxford before completing an MPhil at King’s College Cambridge, where he was a Choral Scholar in the world-famous choir.
Mr Neville is a lifelong committed Catholic and married with two children. He has a love of history and music, and his wider interests include current affairs, politics, architecture and travel.
Mr Neville commented, ‘I am very excited to be joining The Amherst School as Headmaster. From my initial visits, I have been struck by the warmth of welcome and unique sense of community. I look forward to working together with staff, pupils and parents in developing an ambitious vision for the years ahead, to provide the highest quality all-round education and a happy environment in which all pupils can thrive.’
Mrs Murphy, Chair of Amherst School Board, stated that “the Governing Body is delighted that Mr Neville has accepted the appointment. He has a proven commitment to the values that lie at the heart of Catholic educational philosophy and we believe that he is the perfect fit for our school, possessing the necessary skills and experience to lead Amherst at this time.”
Loughborough Amherst School’s history dates back to 1850. It became a co-educational school in 2019 and now educates boys and girls from 3 to 18. Loughborough Amherst is one of four schools in the Loughborough Schools Foundation, alongside Loughborough Grammar School, Loughborough High School and Fairfield Prep School.
For more information about Loughborough Amherst School, please visit www.lsf.org/amherst
